Musical instrument with improved spring bearing



Ndv. 20, 1962 R. H. HAMPEL 3,064,516

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH IMPROVED SPRING BEARING Filed June 16, 1960 30INVEN TOR.

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This invention is concerned with the art of musical wind instruments,and more particularly with an improved spring bearing for clarinets andthe like.

Most clarinets are made either of wood or of plastic. Spatula keys .onsuch instruments are usually biased by means of flat blade springs.These springs in the usual case simply bear against the wood or plasticbody. In many instances, a slot is milled in the surface of the body toposition the spring properly. Such flat blade springs are necessarily ofa rather hard nature, and inherently have sharp edges. Accordingly, theytend to wear into the wood or plastic of the clarinet body, therebyleading to binding of the springs and general improper operation, aswell as to Wearing out of the body of the instrument. The problem isparticularly acute in the case of certain keys, such as the Bb/Eb key,which are mounted off-center of the body of the instrument. Theaforementioned key pivots about an axis which is oblique relative to thesurface of the body, rather than about an axis which is tangent to theimmediately adjacent part of the body, thereby tending to force thebiasing spring laterally so that it rides in the edge of the milledslot.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedbearing for a spring to be used on a clarinet or the like.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide animproved bearing for a spring to be used on a clarinet or the like,which bearing has a better surface, less friction, holds the springagainst slipping, and provides a more positive action.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in a clarinet orthe like having a non-metallic body, a bearing for a spring providingmetal to metal contact with the spring.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a bearing for aspring to be used on a clarinet which materially speeds manufacture ofthe clarinet.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an inserted bearingfor a spring to be used on a clarinet or the like which is ofsymmetrical construction and insertable in any position.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a sortion of a clarinet body showing theBb/Eb key and the improved bearing thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, fragmentary longitudinal sectional viewtaken along the line 33 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the bearing.

Referring now in greater particularity to the drawings, there is shown aportion of the body of a clarinet. Specifically, the body portioncomprises an upper joint having a spatula key 12 pivoted thereon. Thisspatula key comprises the Bb/Eb key, and it is pivoted about a hinge rod14 supported in the usual manner by a pair of posts 16 and 18. The post16 is longer than the post 18, and the key 12 is supported in a positionoblique relative to the adjacent surface of the body. In other words,the axis of the hinge rod 14 is oblique rather than tangent relative tothe centrally underlying portion of the adjacent surface of the clarinetbody.

The key 12 is provided with the usual key cup 20 and pad 22 for closingthe tone hole 24. At the opposite end, the key has the usual fingerpiece 26 for manual engagement to raise the cup and cover from holeclosing position. In addition, the underside 28 of the key has asubstantially flat blade spring 30 secured thereto by a screw 32. Thebody is recessed at 34 to provide adequate clearance for the screw atall times, and the opposite end of the spring is cantilevered rearwardlybeyond the hinge rod 14 and rests against the improved bearing 36forming the subject matter of this invention.

The bearing 36 includes a cylindrical plug 38 having a bevelled enteringend 40 facilitating entry into a complementary aperture 42 in theclarinet body. The cylindrical plug 38 is topped by a laterallyoutwardly projecting peripheral flange 44. The bearing is installed inthe aperture 42 in the clarinet body by a press fit, the bevelled lowerend 40 facilitating entry of the cylindrical plug, as will beunderstood.

Above the flange, the bearing is provided with a conical bearing surface46. This surface is countersunk down into the top of the flange 44 as at50, the countersinking of the flange extending up and out at 52. In atypical example of the invention, the conical surface 46 forms an angleof 35 with the top of the flange 44, while the surface 52 forms an angleof with the conical surface 46.

The bearing 36 is provided, at the top of the conical bearing surface46, with an integral locator pin 54. The pin has an upper conicalsurface 56 which is parallel to the surface 46. The locator pin 54 isundercut by an inverted frustoconical surface 58, which in a typicalexample forms an angle of 100 with the conical bearing surface 46.

Since the spring bearing 36 is completely symmetrical about its centralaxis, it can be installed in any position. The upper edge of the bearing46, as viewed in FIG. 2, is parallel to the hinge rod 14. Furthermore,the surface 46 underlies and is aligned with the key 12. Accordingly,the spring 30 bears substantially flat against the bearing surface 46,albeit in a line contact where the spring is tangent to the bearingsurface. The spring is positively located between the counterbore 50 andthe flange 44 and the locating pin 54. Accordingly, the spring will notbe displaced laterally, even though it is held only by a single screw tothe underside of the key.

Preferably, the extreme tip of the spring 30 is deflected slightlyupwards as is indicated at 60. The spring terminates in a rest positionslightly beyond the locating pin or tip 54, and this upwardly deflectedtip 60 slides onto the pin as the key is depressed to present more of asurface engagement with the bearing surface.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown forillustrative purposes, it will be understood that various changes instructure will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art. Such changeswill be understood as coming within the scope of this invention insofaras they fall within the ambit of the following claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A musical woodwind instrument such as a clarinet including a body, atone hole in said body, a key adapted to close said tone hole, meansmounting said key on said body for pivotal movement about an axisoblique relative to the immediately subjacent portion of said body, abiasing spring resiliently engaging said key, and a bearing fixed onsaid body, said bearing have a substantially conical bearing surfaceengaged by said spring.

2. A musical instrument as set forth in claim 1 wherein the portion ofthe bearing surface engaged by the spring is substantially parallel tothe pivotal axis of said key.

3. A musical instrument as set forth in claim 1 and further includingprojections on said bearing at the opposite extremities of said conicalbearing surface and substantially transverse thereof for positioning andguiding said spring.

4. A musical woodwind instrument such as a clarinet including a body, atone hole in said body, a key adapted to close said tone hole, meansmounting said key on said body for pivotal movement about an axisoblique relative to the immediately subjacent portion of said body, abiasing spring resiliently engaging said key, and a bearing on saidbody, said bearing being rotationally symmetrical and having acylindrical body portion received in a complementary aperture in saidinstrument body, said bearing further including a peripheral flange atthe outer end of said cylindrical body portion, a frustoconical bearingsurface disposed outwardly of said flange, and a projection at the tipof said frustoconical bearing surface projecting at least in parttransversely of said frustoconical surface, said spring engaging saidsubstantially frustoconical surface and being positioned and guided bysaid flange and said tip.

5. A musical woodwind instrument as set forth in claim 4 wherein theflange is counterbored on the side of the frustoconical surface and thetip is undercut.

6. A musical woodwind instrument as set forth in claim 4 wherein theportion of the substantially frustoconical surface engaged by the springis substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of said key.

7. A bearing of rotationally symmetrical construction comprising acylindrical body portion, a transversely References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Loomis Dec. 22, 1931 Lindner et a1."Feb; 22, 1955

